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The Use of Geophysical Methods in Identifying Tree Roots in Urban Areas
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 24th European Meeting of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, Sep 2018, Volume 2018, p.1 - 5
Abstract
Trees play an important part in urban areas, but sometimes, tree roots can interact destructively with the surrounding infrastructure. This interaction can be studied through geophysical methods. Here, we use Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to study this interaction.
We split the surveys into two categories: surveys carried out on natural soils, where both ERT and GPR were applied, and surveys carried out on man-made surfaces, where only GPR was carried out. We also introduce a custom-made equipment which enables us to use all desired ERT configurations. We also used forward models to improve data interpretation and acquisition strategies.
We describe the conditions and survey design we used. We were able to successfully identify roots under some conditions, using both methods. We report that in most cases, GPR and ERT work greatly to complement each other and therefore we recommend using them in tandem.
Relevant 2D and 3D results are presented, and we discuss the span of information that surveys can yield. While such surveys remain difficult, they can provide valuable information for city planners and infrastructure management.